Chakwera’s roast of Nankhumwa during HEQs: Why Malawi opposition needs to step up!

The game of political play and tussle took an interesting twist and fun in Parliament on Thursday when President Lazarus Chakwera stormed the chamber  for  His Excellency’s Question Time (HEQs) style-session from Members of parliament .

Chakwera’s masterly of speech delivery and articulacy gave him an upper edge in Parliament when he managed, on style, to remain afloat in the sea of confidence, taking on, a bit brilliantly, every question from legislators.

He stood out as a leader in control, confident and well versed in his own plans, calm and collected—a definite of a composed and cunning Head of State.

The climax of it all was when Chakwera took on opposition leader Kondwani Nankhumwa and, of course, outsmarting him both on content and style.

In his classical act of roasting Nankhumwa, Chakwera reminded the opposition leader that, contrary to what he said he [Chakwera] has been in government for three months, he had only been in government for two months.

“It must be shocking that Nankhumwa wants to run this nation yet he can’t even manage to count the months right,” he mocked.

Chakwera further rapped leader of opposition for chiding his government over demands by teachers for Covid-19 risk allowances.

He said Nankhumwa should have done the same three months ago when the then DPP led administration presented a budget that did not have a component to cater for the teachers’ demands.

Apparently down but not out, Nankhumwa—on a lighter note—asked President Chakwera to take it easy after the President singled out Nankhumwa’s response to the Sona.

Yet still, the opposition needs to step up the game in dealing with Chakwera who, as it appears, he is on top of his game both on style and content.

In response to a question from MP for Monkey Bay, Ralph Jooma on how administration would ensure that unscrupulous traders do not profit from the affordable farm inputs programme, the President said his government would ensure that there was no room for duping the ordinary Malawians.

He added that all unscrupulous traders would be dealt with by the law.

Parliament is meeting for the 49th  for  the 2020/ 2021 National Budget.